


Desperate Measures

by ShenanigansEnsue



Series: Shenanigans and Imagines [51]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 12:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShenanigansEnsue/pseuds/ShenanigansEnsue
Summary: Poe has seen you in class, and is desperate to talk to you, but can never seem to catch you at the right moment.  That is, until, he discovers you work at the Student Tutoring Center.





	Desperate Measures

         Poe Dameron was the poster boy for confidence. He believed he could achieve anything he set his mind to, provided he worked for it.  Any plan of action he took, he did without regret.  Yet, as he stood awkwardly in the entry way of the Student Tutoring Center, he had to wonder what had drove him to such drastic measures. 

         It seemed to have all started on the first day of Professor Holdo’s War History class.  

         He had noticed you as soon as he walked in the door.  You had been sitting near the front of the class room, notebook and pencil already out, and marking important dates form the syllabus onto your planner. You were definitely easy on the eyes, but before he could say anything, Professor Holdo entered the room and class started.

         It hadn’t taken him long to realize you were more than just a pretty face. You were quite possibly the smartest person he had ever met.  Whenever Holdo asked a question you were always ready with a thoughtful answer, making his own answers come across as grade school in comparison.  At the same times, you never came across as snobbish. You always seemed to sneak in a joke or sarcasm into your comments, earning a smile from him and a good laugh from the rest of the class.  You listened to the professor and other students with the same attention, and you were quickly becoming the reason he showed up every day.

         As the semester went on, his need to know more about you only grew, but whenever class ended, you would rush off before he ever had the chance.  He would see you around campus from time to time, but it was never at the right moment.  You were always either rushing to be somewhere or curled over a textbook with earbuds in your ears, and a notebook beside you.  

         He was sure he was coming to his breaking point, until, finally, he found an in.

         At the start of Holdo’s class, you walked up to the front of the room with a handful of flyers in your hand.  

         The Student Tutoring Center was open between 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday thru Friday and 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Saturdays.  Tutoring sessions for Science, Math, and Writing were available by appointment online or a drop-in.  And you would be working there every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

         So, that next Wednesday at 1:00 P.M., Poe found himself at the Student Tutoring Center, with his backpack and notebook in hand.

         Desperate, he was definitely desperate.

         He scanned the room and quickly found you at one of the tables, writing something in your notebook.  Steeling his nerves, he walked towards you.

         “Hey.”

         You looked up, your eyes going wide upon seeing him.  

         “Poe, hey,” you said, surprised.  “What are you doing here?”

         Poe felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of his name on your lips.  He had thought for sure you wouldn’t know who he was, but he recovered quickly enough.

         “Well, this is the tutoring center, right?”

         “Yeah…I mean…”

         You couldn’t seem to find the right words, becoming more flustered by the second. It was actually kind of cute.

         Soon enough, however, you regained your composure, before gesturing to the chair in front of you.

         “Have a seat.”

         Poe gave a small smile in thanks and set down his things.

         “So, what can I help you with,” you asked.  Your tone was kind, but professional and Poe quickly remembered what he was supposed to be doing there.

         “Just this new writing assignment for Holdo,” he said easily.  “I’m not even sure where to start.”

         In reality, he had already started.  He even had even gotten through a first draft, but you didn’t need to know that.

         “Oh dear,” you said concerned.  “You realize it’s due in two days.”

         He ran his hand through his hair, feigning embarrassment.  

         “Yeah, not one of my best moments.  I kind of got sidetracked.”

         You gave a sympathetic smile.

         “Fair enough, but I’m not sure how much I can help you if you don’t have a rough draft or at least an outline.  I can’t write the paper for you. I can only critique it.”  

         Poe felt a spike of panic shoot through him as he said the first thing that came to his mind.

         “I have a rough draft!”

         You raised an eyebrow at him, your lips pursing.

         “Well that was fast,” you said sardonically.

         Genuine embarrassment settled into his stomach as a blush crept up his neck.

         “I just didn’t think I was on the right track,” he said, the lie coming out smoother than he felt it had the right to. “I thought I was going to have to start over again.”

         “I doubt it’s that bad,” you said.  Some of the suspicion had subsided, but it was clear you hadn’t completely bought in to what he was selling.  “Have you got it with you?”

         Without a word, Poe nodded a yes and pulled out his laptop from his bag. A few clicks later, he had the file up and slid it over to you.

         You scrolled through the document in neutral silence, only occasionally broken up by the scratch of your pencil.  

         This was not going how he had imagined.  He had hoped he could start to talk to you about the assignment before smoothly transitioning an actual conversation, with playful banter and everything. He had pictured making you laugh, and maybe even asking you out, but he doubted he could ever recover from this. You probably thought he was a complete idiot.

         The silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity before you finished.

         “Everything seems to be working,” you said.  “I would suggest some word changes here and there as you tend to repeat yourself and some grammatical errors, but nothing you can’t fix.  A few more drafts and I think you’ve got something.”

         He gave a weak smile, thankful that you at least hadn’t found anything damning in his writing.  He was ready to take all he could get.

         “Thanks.”

         You didn’t say anything.  Instead, you kept your gaze steady and he could see the wheels turning in your mind.  You then glanced at the paper your expression shifting slightly before looking back to him with a tilt of your head.

         “You didn’t come here for my help, did you.”

         It wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t harsh either, just a simple statement of fact.

         The heat in Poe’s neck was now in his ears. He looked around the room as if it would somehow provide him with an answer that didn’t make him come across as a jerk, but he couldn’t find it. Unable to make proper eye contact, he shook his head.

         “No.”

         You nodded in understanding, and a more openly curiosity took over your features.

         “So, why did you come down here?”

         He ran his hand through his hair as the weight of his own stupidity came crashing down on him. There was no point of continuing the lie.

         “Guess I just wanted an excuse to talk to you,” he said before finally meeting your eyes and shooting you a sideways smile.  “How am I doing?”

         You kept your face fairly neutral, but he could just detect you twist your lip slightly upward.

         “Well, we’re certainly having a conversation,” you conceded.  “But, if you’re not here for your paper, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

         Poe’s stomach sank, but he kept it off his face and nodded in understanding.

         “That’s fair.”

         Without another word, he grabbed his laptop and your notes, and stuffed them into his bag.  He then rose to his feet, giving you a quick parting smile.  

         “Guess I’ll see you in class.”

         He turned to leave, but only made it a few paces before your voiced called to him.

         “That’s it?”

         He spun on his heel, staring at you with a strange expression.

         “What?”

         You were smiling wryly at him, the laughter clear in your eyes.

         “You didn’t strike me as the type to give up that easily.”

         His face turned into one of complete disbelief. Then, slowly, a small smile began to form on his lip.

         “What time are you off?”

         “Four o’clock,” you said, your own smile growing wider.

         Poe nodded, trying to restrain himself as hope began to fill him.

         “In that case,” he said casually, “do you want meet and get a coffee or something?”

         You paused, pretending to give the matter some thought before nodding.

         “Yeah, that’s sounds nice.”

         He let out a breath of relief, grinning broadly.

         “Great.  I’ll just meet you here and we’ll just…”

         “We’ll figure it out,” you finished.

         There was a small pause between you.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, but there was an underlying tension neither of you were inclined to break. Unfortunately, you still were on the clock.  

         “I’ll see you then,” you said gently.

         Poe understood, giving you one last nod and a soft smile.

         “See you then.”

         He then turned to leave, his whole body feeling much lighter than when he had first come in.  As he left the tutoring center he couldn’t help but smile.  He had a feeling he’d be seeing more of it in the near future.  

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! If you like this check out my tumblr @ https://shenanigans-and-imagines.tumblr.com
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you are so inclined.


End file.
